1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to safety ladders and more specifically it relates to a portable fire escape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous safety ladders have been provided in prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,157,130 to Aberer; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,243,121 to Kiss et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,612 to Sandor and U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,982 to Wolfe all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. The following discusses the prior art identified above.
A fire ladder includes as opposite sides a pair of elongate flexible cables in the form of interwoven strands of wire. Hollow tubes flattened and scored on their upper surfaces extend rigidly between the cables to provide the ladder rungs. The rungs have initially open ends into which looped portions of the cables are inserted. One side wall of the rung is then crimped inwardly and pressed against the opposite wall, to firmly clamp the cable within the rung. Hook-like arms secured to the ends of the cables serve to suspend the ladder from a window sill and may be folded by means of a hinge structure to a collapsed storage position occupying little space. A spring located within the hinge arms maintains the hook-like support arms spaced apart during use, while stops prevent the arms from pivoting excessively.
There is provided the combination of a frame and a collapsible ladder. The frame defines two spaced-apart horizontal passages in which catch elements are mounted. Resilient means urge the catch elements toward each other, and manual thumbscrew means are provided, to pull the catch elements away from each other. A collapsible ladder has attachment means at the top by which it can be anchored, and the ladder also includes a containment means constituted by the bottom rung and two upstanding side members which register with all of the remaining rungs. The upstanding side members have openings at the top into which the catch members extend when in their innermost positions. Manual release is possible by which the side, members become disengaged from the frame, thus allowing the web ladder to fall into a position of use.
The invention relates to a portable emergency fire escape ladder, comprising a large double hook adapted to fit over a window ledge. Tubular steps are suspended by means of galvanized steel cables. The steps are secured on the suspension cables by means of pressed steel rings. The tubular steps are slightly larger in diameter at one end than the other, allowing the steps to joint together to form a pole. There is a connecting rod under the double hook, for the attachment of the top tubular step in the pole position. The double hook has a curvature at the lower end in order that the tubular steps may be spaced a distance from the wall, to allow room for the person's foot. The double hook is provided with a pull cable which is strung through the frame of the double hook, to the end pieces, so that pulling on the cable will release the double hook from the window ledge, allowing a person down the wall.
A foldable ladder having a plurality of rigid steps. Inwardly folding arms are pivotably secured to the steps, so as to be rigid in use by and capable of being folding for storage.